10 Selfish Athletes Who Put the "I" in "Teiam"

Being one of the highest paid players in sports year after year is usually a prerequisite for the egotistical athlete. Ever since A-Rod signed a $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers in 2001, the question became, how much of a team player is a guy that earns a salary equal to the budget of some small countries?

Despite posting amazing numbers, A-Rod didn’t make sense in Texas, as the team simply couldn’t afford to build around their nine-figure superstar. While Rodriguez fit in more on the New York Yankees from a financial sense, rumors still flew that he was unpopular in the clubhouse. Former skipper Joe Torre noted in his book The Yankee Years that A-Rod was nicknamed “A-Fraud” due to constant selfish demands, as well as a list of contract clauses that resembles a biblical scroll. And to think, being hand fed popcorn by Cameron Diaz wasn’t even one of them.

BILL ROMANOWSKI
While he may not be the most recognizable name, no list of horrible teammates would be complete without Romanowski. Was the four-time Super Bowl champion linebacker accused of not giving 100 percent on the field? Never. Was the two-time Pro Bowl talent known for missing the occasional practice or meeting? A near flawless attendance record wouldn’t surprise.

No, Romanowski will always go down as a locker room leper for one nagging habitbeating the shit out of his own teammates. Being passionate on the field is one thing; ending the career of a guy who dons the same team jersey is quite another. Yet that’s exactly what happened during an Oakland Raiders scrimmage back in 2003, when Romanowski got into a scuffle with tight end Marcus Williams. The allegedly “'roid raging” linebacker tore off Williams’ helmet, and delivered a haymaker that crushed one of his eye sockets. Romanowski’s career ended shortly thereafter too, and honestly, locker room fights have just never been the same. Tear.

MILTON BRADLEY
Another lesser-known player, it’s hard to argue whether there was ever a worse teammate than the man who shares his name with America’s favorite maker of classic board games. As far as the professional baseball player is concerned, you can literally create your own top 10 list of detrimental moments during the career of the man known as “Meltdown” Bradley. In fact, someone already did.

Bradley hasn't been a stranger to in-game ejections or suspensions, which in turn have done no favors for his teammates. Whether it’s tossing a bag of baseballs onto the field after arguing with an umpire or tearing his ACL after (you guessed it) arguing with an umpire, Bradley is never at a loss for finding creative ways to take himself out of games. He’s had several well-documented clubhouse feuds (with players like Jeff Kent and managers like Lou Piniella) and has managed to wear out his welcome on eight teams in just 11 years. When it comes to anti-team athletes, Bradley is the gift that keeps on giving.

BARRY BONDS

What's the name of that famous
psychologist... Sigmund Fff...
Sigmund Fuh... anyone?

There has probably never been a player as soft-spoken, yet universally despised, as baseball’s all-time home run king (ASTERISK). Bonds wasn’t one of the biggest trash talkers in MLB history, but rather a subtle assassin who did things, such as walking into a team pitchers meeting after becoming a member of the San Francisco Giants, and pointing out all the guys he’s homered off of while saying, “I got you, I got you, I got you...”

If the above incident just sounds like innocent fun to you, how about reports that Bonds took up multiple lockers for himself in the team clubhouse? It’s no surprise that Bonds regularly alienated himself from teammates, and was a constant no-show at practices and meetings as his star power continued to rise. All of this, and not even one mention yet of Bonds’s role in Major League Baseball’s steroids scandal, in which Bonds was indicted on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice for allegedly lying to a grand jury during the BALCO hearings. I mean, what’s not to like?